Surface electrode for electrical therapeutic apparatus



May 4 1926. 1,583,087

F. H. MORSE SURFACE ELECTRODE FOR ELECTRICAL THERAPEUTIC APPARATUS Filed Dec. 19, 1921 Fig.1.

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FTdericK H. Morse WM Mam A'ITys.

Patented May 4, 1926.

I UNITED STATES IBEDERICK H. MORSE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SURFACE ELECTBODE FOR ELECTRICAL THERAPEUTIC APPARATUS.

Application filed December 19, 1921 Serial No. 523,479.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Fnnmnucn H. Mouse, a citizen of the United States, andrcsident of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Surface Electrodes for Electrical Therapeutic Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to surface electrodes such as are used in electrical therapeutic apparatus and it has for its object to provide an improved form of surface electrode in which the'pad member of absorbent material is set into a recess formed in the rubber backing, and in which a novel electric circuit terminal is employed which has a swivel construction and by which the operation of connecting the circuit wire to the pad or disconnecting it therefrom is greatly facilitated.

In order to give an understanding-of the invention Thave illustrated in the drawingsa selected embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a surface electrode embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view through the electrode.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the manner in which the circuit wire terminal is disconnected from the electrode terminal.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken transversely through the socket terminal.

The device herem shown is of that type comprising a backing member 1 which is usually of rubber and to which is secured the pad member 2 that is formed of absorbent material enclosed in a suitable cover or envelope 3 and means for connecting a circuit wire to the pad member so that when the pad member is moistened and placed on any portion of the body and connected to an electric circuit the-patient will receive the.

' and 15 extending in opposite directions, the

desired electrical treatment.

One object of my invention is to provide a novel way of attaching the pad member 2 to the backing 1. The backing 1 is shaped to provide a recess 4 in which the pad is received so that the face 5 of the pad which is placed against the patient comes substantial] flush with the edge 6 of the backing 1.

Tie pad is retained in place in any suitable way as by means of stitchings or fas;

tening devices 7 Thls construction has the advantage that the pad member is securely retained in place by reason of being received in the recess 4.

In devices of this sort it is desirable that the rubber backing 1 should extend beyond the pad member so as to protect the latter at its edges and where the backing is formed .with a recess 4 in which the pad member is received the projecting portion 6 of the backing comes substantially flush with the face of the pad thus obviating the presence of a shoulder at the edge of the pad, such as would be formed if the pad were secured to a flat backing member.

In the drawings 8 indicates a circuit wire which is connected to a terminal secured to the pad member, and a common method of securing the circuit wire to the pad member is to provide the latter with a terminal post having a transverse aperture and to provide the circuit wire with a metal tip adapted to be inserted into the aperture. One disadvantage of this construction is that there is the possibility that the tip will be pulled out from the aperture during the use of the pad thus breaking the electrical connection.

I have provided herein an improved construction 1n which the circuit wire 8 is connccted to the pad with a swivel connection so that the circuit wire can be turned in different directions relative to the pad without danger of breaking the electrical connection.

The pad terminal comprises a metal plate 9 overlying the back face of the backing 1 and fastened thereto by means of prongs or feet 10 which are inserted through the backing and throu h the envelope of the pad, said feet being cllnchedover onto an electrode member 11 located. within the pad member 3. This plate 9 has secured thereto a socket member 12 which is adapted to receive a circuit wire terminal plug member 13 to which the circuit wire 8 is connected. This plug member 13 has rigid therewith two arms 14:

arm 15 being electrically connected to the circuit wire 8. 7

Situated within the socket member 12 is a split clamping ring 16/ the edge 17 of the socket member being spim over to partially enclose the ring and thereby hold it in the socket terminal, the resiliency of-thesplit ring 10 permitting this operation. Then the electrical connection is thus made the plugterminal is free to rotatejn the socket terminal so that the circuit wire 8 may be led in the direction as shown in fulllines Fig. 1 or that shown in dotted lines Fig. 1 or in any other direction, and this turnin of the plug terminal in thesocket termin'a may be accomplished without in any way 'tending to disconnect the two terminals.

This is very convenient because in using the device the pad is frequently manipulated or moved from one location to another and the swivel connection permits this to be done 'breaklng the electric c1rwithout danger of cuit.

To disconnect the plug terminal from the socket terminal it is simply necessary to pull the arm 15 away from the backing member as shown in Fig. 3. When this is done the end of the arm 14 bears against theplate 9, the latter acting as a fulcrum as shown in Fig. 3, and as the structure comprising the arms 14, 15 and the plug ter-' minal 13 is a rigid structure, the swingin movement of the arm 15 away from the pa will withdraw the plug terminal 13 from the split ring 16.

The central portion 21 of the plate 9 to which the socket member 12 is secured is de ressed so that the socket member comes su stantially flush with the back face of the pad. [The arm 14 is of sufiicient extent to overlie the portion 20 of the plate 9 which is .not depressed so that with this construction a slight swinging movement of the terminal will bring the end of the arm 14 against the flat part of the plate 9.

Moreover the construction is such that the plug terminal can be disconnected from the socket terminal equally well in any angular position of the arms 14 and 15 because in all positions the arms 14 and 15 overlie the fiat portion 20 of the plate 9.

I claim.

1. In a surface electrodeforan electrical therapeutic apparatus, the combination with a rubber backing, of a pad of absorbent material secured thereto, said pad having a recess in its back face and the rubber backing having an opening-aligned with the ring, and a circuit wire connected to recess, fa ieocket terminal member secured to the pad -and' occupying the recess, said terminal.. member coming -substantiall flush with the back, a plug terminal mem er for 'detaehably englagmg the. socket terminaltherapeutic apparatus, the combination with a rubber backing member having a padrec'eivlng' recess and a 'fla-nge surrounding said recess, of a padmember of absorbent material situated within the recess and having its face coming substantially flush with said flange, a socket terminal in the back of the electrode situated below the surface thereof and a plug terminal detachably fastened to said socket terminal.

3. In a device of the'class described, the combination with a pad, of a socket terminaljmember secured thereto and provided with a splitclamping ring, a plug terminal member to enter the socketmember and adapted to be detachably clamped by said the plug terminal member.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with-a secured thereto and aving a depressed central portion, a socket. terminal secured to lpad, member, of a plate said depressed central portion,a plug terminal member adapted to enterand be detachablysecured to the socket terminal member,said plug having two oppositely-extend ing arms overlying the plate and the armsand plug 'member constituting a rigid structure and a clrcult wlre connected to one of said arms, the other arml being constructedv to bear against the plate whensaid rigid structure is moved into an angular relation to disconnect the plug terminal from the.

socket.

-.5. In a surface electrode for an electrical therapeutic apparatus, the combination with arubber backing member, of a pad of absorbent material'secured thereto and having a recess in its back face, a socket terminal located in said recess with its axial line extending transversely of the pad, and a plug terminal member comprising a rigid arm extending parallel to the back face of the pad and a plug member rigid withsaid k arm and swivelled in the socket member turn aboutthe axial line'thereof.

In testimony whereof,-I have signed my name to this specification.

FREDERICK H. MORSE. 

